What to do if I Find Someone is Spying my Mobile?
Find out in this article what measures to take if you suspect that someone is spying on your device. We provide you with practical tips and strategies to protect your privacy and keep your device secure.
In this blog, we will explore the signs that should put us on alert if we sense that someone could be monitoring what we do on our mobile phones. We will learn how to protect ourselves from this situation with practical advice.
Next, we will show you a series of questions that will help you evaluate whether your mobile device could be spied on:
Have you noticed any unusual behavior on your mobile device, such as decreased performance, rapidly draining battery, or apps opening or closing without your intervention?
Have you detected changes in the configuration of your mobile device, such as modified settings or applications installed without your consent?
Have you received strange, suspicious, or threatening messages or emails that could indicate that someone is accessing your device?
Have you experienced situations where someone seems to know private details or conversations that you had only shared through your mobile device?
Have you identified unusually high mobile data consumption for no apparent reason?
Have you witnessed your mobile device behaving erratically, such as turning itself on or off or performing actions that you did not initiate?
If you have answered any of these questions, it may be that your device is being spied on. That is why we encourage you to continue reading this article.
How do they manage to spy on our devices?
The usual thing when someone wants to spy on another person’s device is to install an application without their knowledge whose objective is to control all their movements to make use of that information as they wish, which is known in some cases as cyber control. When does it occur? Sometimes, in relationships between couples, harassment situations and cases of extortion.
It is important to make it clear that these applications that are used to spy on devices do not have to be malicious in themselves; in fact, they are useful in many contexts. However, as we have seen, they are used for purposes for which they were not created.
What information do these types of applications provide?
They provide information of all kinds. Here are some examples:
Call logs: Details of incoming and outgoing calls, including phone numbers, duration, and time of calls.
Text messages: Access to sent and received text messages, including content, senders, and recipients.
Emails: Ability to read sent and received emails, as well as access attachments.
GPS location: Real-time tracking of the device’s location, which allows knowing the movements of the spied-on person.
Web browsing history: Information about websites visited, searches performed, and online activities.
Conversations on social networks: Access to conversations and publications on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, among others.
Instant messaging applications: Possibility of reading conversations in messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
Tips to protect ourselves from this situation
Next, we will show you some useful recommendations to avoid finding yourself in a situation of these characteristics:
Open communication: Promote an environment of trust and dialogue in your environment. Encourage your loved ones to express any concerns or suspicions related to this topic.
Be aware of the importance of taking care of your privacy: Learn to protect your personal data, as well as any other private information, when you use different Internet services, think before publishing, and properly configure your profiles. Think that the information you publish could be used to harm you.
Prevent third parties from accessing your mobile: Make sure your mobile is locked with a secure method (password, PIN, biometrics), and do not share it with anyone.
Use strong passwords: Key management is essential; create different passwords for each service and activate double verification in those online services that allow it. Only you should access your private spaces.
Protect it properly: Use security tools, such as antivirus and ad blockers, to reduce the risk of installing applications that can monitor your activity.
Review installed apps: Regularly keep track of the apps installed on your device. If you find any suspicious or unknown application, investigate its origin and uninstall it if necessary.
Updates and patches: Make sure mobile devices are up to date with the latest security patches and software versions. This will help protect you against known vulnerabilities and potential attacks.
Consult with experts: If you are still not sure and still have suspicions, it is advisable to seek help from cybersecurity experts. They can help you detect and eliminate if the device has any applications that could be providing information about you.
Is it legal to use these applications?
The use of spy tools is regulated by legislation, and there are specific restrictions on its use. In general, spying on or monitoring third parties without their consent is considered a violation of privacy and may be illegal.
Below are some scenarios where using these tools is legal:
Exceptional circumstances: As in criminal or national security investigations, the competent authorities can obtain judicial authorizations to carry out surveillance and obtain information. However, these activities are strictly regulated and must be proportionate and justified.
Legitimate purposes: In situations where the objective is to protect people, such as a minor, older person or incapacitated person, as long as they have been informed of its installation and said person of their consent or authorization explicitly.
